Super Listeners: Your Guide for Developing Fans Who Go Deeper

You’ve probably heard about the superfan economy — they’re the fans who stream the most, buy your merch, and support you at your shows. But, we continue to hear that breaking through and creating loyal fans is many artists’ biggest challenge. There’s more music than ever, listeners are discovering songs faster, and virality doesn’t always translate into sustainable fandom.

Getting someone to press play is just the start. It’s about building fans who come back, explore more of your catalog, and stick with you for the long haul. That kind of lasting connection might be hard to come by, but it’s exactly what we’re investing in at Spotify.

Spotify is where you can build stronger fan relationships because active listeners are already here. How do we know? Spotify listeners don’t just stream – they stream a lot. According to recent research from eMarketer, fans in the US spend over 32 hours a month listening on Spotify. That’s compared to 3.5 hours per month or less on other streaming services [1]. More listening means more opportunity to grow a real, lasting fanbase.

But who are the listeners streaming you the most? In your Spotify for Artists dashboard, we call them super listeners – they’re your super engaged fans. Super listeners are the most loyal segment of your monthly active listeners: aka listeners who have intentionally sought out your music from active sources like your artist profile, release pages, their saved libraries, and more in the past 28 days. Your super listeners support everything you do: On average, they make up just 2% of an artist's monthly listeners but drive over 18% of monthly streams, account for 50% of an artist's ticket sales from Spotify, and are 9x more likely to share music with their network than other listeners.

We’ve studied how these fans engage and we’ve built tools – like audience analytics, Campaign Kit, Countdown Pages, and more – to help you understand and develop them when they’re ready to dig in. This guide covers all things super listeners: from understanding them in your Spotify for Artists audience analytics to keeping them engaged and growing more of them over time.

Super listeners are the driving beat behind your success

Super listeners might be a small slice of your audience, but they make a big impact. We invested in learning more about how they’re actually engaging, and the numbers speak for themselves. On average:

• They're a real powerhouse: Across all artist sizes, super listeners make up just 2% of an artist's monthly listeners but drive over 18% of monthly streams.
• They stream like stans: One super listener streams as much as 20 programmed listeners.

• They spread the love: Super listeners are 9x more likely to share music with their network.
• They support beyond the stream: Super listeners account for 50% of an artist’s ticket sales through Spotify. And, in a recent survey, super listeners reported spending over $25 per touring artist on merch, live shows, and more in the past 30 days [2].

• They stay loyal: More than 50% of an artist’s super listeners will still be streaming their music six months after discovering it.

Key takeaway: These fans aren’t casual. They’re committed. If you’re looking to build a real fanbase that sticks around and keeps showing up for your music, it’s not just about getting more listeners. It’s about connecting with the right ones.

Nurturing super listeners on Spotify

Every fan engages differently, and we’ve seen that creating super listeners can take multiple touchpoints. We look at that journey as a fan funnel — a way to understand how different types of listeners become long-term fans:

• Growth stage: At the top, you’ve got your potential and programmed listeners. Potential listeners haven’t streamed your music anywhere in at least two years – but, based on their listening behavior, they’re likely to stream your music. Programmed listeners have only heard your music through programmed sources like editorial playlists in the past two years. So, both groups are newer to your sound.
• Reactivation stage: In the middle, you have your previously active listeners — fans who used to stream you intentionally but haven’t in the past 28 days. They might just need a nudge to dive back in.
• Engagement stage: At the bottom of the funnel are your monthly active listeners — including light, moderate, and super listeners. They’re intentionally streaming your music in the past 28 days and coming back regularly, so they’re really fueling your career. Super listeners are the most engaged segment within your monthly active listeners.

When fans actively stream your music, they move closer to becoming super listeners. But that journey doesn’t always follow a straight line. One listener might find you on Fresh Finds during a road trip, add your new album to their own playlist or library, and run through a bunch of your new tracks. They actively stream on repeat – and, by the end of the drive, they’re a super listener. Another might stream your latest single, fall off for a bit, then get pulled back in by a Countdown Page when the album drops. The key is to reach fans at every stage and give them a reason to keep coming back.

1. Start with understanding your audience

The first step is knowing how listeners are engaging with your music right now. Audience analytics in Spotify for Artists can show you what’s connecting and where there’s room to grow.

• Go to the Segments tab to see how listeners break down across programmed, previously active, and monthly active listeners – including super listeners.
• Use Source of Streams to understand where your listeners are finding and playing your music – through programmed sources like playlists or active sources like your profile, catalog, or release pages.
• If you’ve recently dropped new music, check the Release Engagement tab to see how super listeners are showing up for the release.

These insights help you spot where listeners are in their journey and where to focus next.

2. Activate listeners with tools made for music

Once you know how listeners are engaging, it’s time to reach them more intentionally. And, we’ve built tools to help you do exactly that.

• Growth stage: Find new listeners through programmed sources by using Discovery Mode and playlist pitching. Once these programmed listeners are in your world, you can give them a reason to come back and encourage them to actively stream your music.
• Reactivation stage: Bring back fans who haven’t streamed in a while with Marquee or Showcase campaigns targeting your previously active listeners. Because campaigns hone in on listeners in specific audience segments – and based on real streaming behavior – they’re effective at moving listeners down the funnel. On average, we’ve seen that listeners who see a Marquee or Showcase are 2x more likely to become super listeners during a campaign than those who don’t.
• Engagement stage: Keep fans engaged by keeping your profile fresh with merch, Clips, and tour dates (so you show up in Concerts Near You, the Live Events feed, and in personalized concert recommendations). When you’re active and visible, fans are more likely to lean in — and nothing drives that like new music. In fact, on average, artists see an 18% increase in super listeners after a release. And, when you create a Countdown Page, you can help ensure your super listeners know about an upcoming album. On average, nearly one fourth of listeners who pre-save an artist’s music via a Countdown Page are super listeners. And, they show up big when the music is live: Over one-third of listeners who pre-save from a Countdown Page and then stream week one are super listeners.

We’re investing in new ways to help you see how campaigns are moving listeners down the funnel. For example, Marquee and Showcase reports now include a fan visualization that shows which listeners became light, moderate, and super listeners – along with personalized insights about your audience.

How to get started

Want to build a fanbase of super listeners who keep coming back? Start by digging into your audience data and using the tools available in Spotify for Artists. All artists have access to insights, playlist pitching, profile updates, and more. To see if you’re eligible for Countdown Pages, Marquee, or Showcase, and Discovery Mode check out our Help Center.

Your next superfans are already out there listening — and you’ve got what you need to help them go deeper.

References

1. Based on internal research and recent findings from eMarketer, citing a January 2025 Comscore study.
2. Based on a survey of 4.5k U.S. based super listeners of touring artists over 18 years old.